Chasing the Truth
by Kirk Baldridge
Summary: Victoria asks Max for help on a project and the two quickly grow closer than either is expecting.


TITLE: Chasing the Truth

AUTHOR: Kirk Baldridge

Max Caulfield was sitting up in bed, staring blankly at the phone in her lap.

It was 7 AM and she had already been up for an hour, because a text alert had roused her from a very strange dream about a tornado and something vaguely science fictiony she couldn't quite remember. Checking her phone she had been surprised to see the name displayed was that of Chloe Price.

Her best friend since childhood, Max had lost contact with Chloe after her parents decided to move to Seattle. A year ago she had gotten a scholarship to attend the prestigious Blackwell Academy, back in Arcadia Bay. After settling into her dorm she tried to contact Chloe, only to discover from her mother, Joyce, that it was Chloe who had moved away. Now, out of the blue, her old friend had been the one to make contact.

 **Maximus? You up?**

 **Hi Chloe. It's good to hear from you.**

 **Same.**

 **I'm sorry we haven't kept in touch. How're you doing?**

 **Hella good. I'm engaged.**

 **What? Are you cereal?**

 **Haven't heard that in a while. Yeah. Hang on.**

Max had gotten a picture of a hand with bright blue fingernails and a diamond ring.

 **Sweet. Your mom said you skipped town with some girl. Is it her?**

 **Rachel Amber? Yeah.**

Max got another picture, this one of Chloe—with hair as bright blue as her nails—posing with a pretty blonde girl who was wearing a single blue feathered earring.

 **Isn't she hot?**

 **Totes. Congratulations, Chloe.**

 **Thanks. I feel like the happiest girl in the world.**

Max and Chloe texted back and fourth for an hour, before Chloe told her she had to go because Rachel was calling and she was naked so she wasn't about to ignore her.

 **TMI, Chloe.**

Max was a little stunned. Chloe Price was engaged. To Rachel Amber. She didn't know much about the blonde, except the gossip she had heard around Blackwell. Most people referred to her as beautiful but distant, a girl who had decent grades but no real drive. After she met Chloe met at a party the two of them became virtually inseparable. When Chloe got expelled from Blackwell Rachel apparently quit too, and they decided to move to Los Angeles so Rachel could live out her dream of being a model. According to their parents the two of them seemed to be doing well.

Too wired now to go back to sleep, in spite of the fact she didn't have class for another two hours, Max decided to get up and go take a shower. As she started to put her phone on the nightstand she heard it chime, indicating she had another incoming text. She hesitated. Knowing Chloe it could be a picture of her and Rachel in bed. But a look at the screen gave her the second biggest surprise of her morning.

 **Caulfield, are you up?**

Max considered just not answering. Victoria Chase was queen bee—queen bitch on her worst days-of Blackwell Academy and a professional pain in her ass. She was rich and popular and head of the Vortex Club, an amalgam of the richest and smartest students, or so they claimed. Victoria could make or break the social status of anyone at the school with a single post to the social media platform of her choice.

Max sighed. Ignoring her would probably cause more trouble than it was worth.

 **Hi Victoria. You're up early.**

 **Don't remind me. I actually saw the fucking sun rise.**

Max rolled her eyes. Victoria could be such a drama queen. The real problem was, Victoria wasn't just a pretty face. She actually was one of the smartest students at Blackwell, as she constantly liked to remind everyone else. Her GPA was in the top ten percent and it was rumored she was being scouted by several photography studios. That was one of the things she and Max had in common, they were always on the lookout for the perfect shot, though Max used an old Polaroid camera while Victoria used a band new, top of the line model. The two of them were always competing in Miss Steward's photography class and both had gotten top grades.

 **Did you need something?**

 **Meet me by the Blackwell statue.**

It wasn't a request, it was a demand. Under normal circumstances Max would have written something nasty in response and gone on about her day but after texting with Chloe she was in such a good mood even Victoria ' _I am so much hotter and cooler than you it's not even funny_ ' Chase couldn't bring her down.

 **Why? Never mind. I have class.**

 **Oh please. You've got two hours free. Just get down here.**

Max arched an eyebrow. ' _Why would Victoria know my schedule?_ '

 **I don't jump when you call, Victoria. You must have me confused with Taylor and Courtney.**

Nothing came for a minute.

 **I need a favor. Okay?**

Once again Max found herself staring at her phone. ' _Victoria Chase is asking me for help? This I have to see_.'

 **Give me a few minutes.**

 **Fine.**

Max took her time putting on jeans, a Jane Doe t-shirt, and of course her hoodie. In other words, pretty much the same thing she always wore. She could have gotten dressed in five minutes but she took twenty. She put her books, camera and extra film in her satchel and slung the strap over her shoulder. Whatever Victoria wanted was important, to her, but she just texted her out of the blue and started telling her what to do. She could wait.

As she exited the dorms Max saw Victoria pacing back and forth in front of the statue of Jeremiah Blackwell, arms crossed over her chest, staring down at her feet and mumbling to herself. The taller girl was wearing a short black skirt and a red cashmere sweater and had her fancy camera bag over her shoulder. She was pretty sure the camera inside it cost more than everything in her entire room. "Victoria!"

The pixie-cut blonde turned, her green eyes widening. She started to smile then seemed to think better of it and huffed instead. "Damn it, Caulfield. What the hell took you so long?"

"Nice to see you too."

Victoria looked to be a little flustered, which surprised Max. "I-I appreciate you coming."

"That's better." Max crossed her arms. "What's up?"

"Are you familiar with the Memories of Arcadia Bay contest?"

Max nodded. Miss Steward, the photography teacher, told everyone about it weeks ago. The winner got a trip to visit San Francisco, and the possibility of their photo being displayed in a gallery. She had thought about entering it but wasn't able to come up with any of pictures she thought were good enough before the deadline.

"Did you enter?"

"I did. I made it to the finals, it's just me and three other photographers."

"Congratulations."

"Thanks."

A part of Max wondered if Victoria had called her down her just to show off. The way the blonde was staring at her feet told her otherwise. "So what did you need from me?"

Victoria cleared her throat. "You know Sunset Over Blackwell?"

Again, Max nodded. It was a beautiful shot of a bright orange sky over the profile of the Academy.

"I can't just choose something out of my portfolio this time. That was fine for the first round but we were told this time we need a brand new shot. If I want to win it has to be something spectacular. And..."

"Let me guess. You're stuck?" Victoria nodded. Max had been there. That was why she didn't enter photo contests very often, she didn't like the pressure and was always afraid she'd choke. "But why come to me?"

"Because as much as it pains me to admit it, you have talent. Maybe more than anyone else at the school, except for me of course. I need your eye, and your creativity. I don't want to fuck this up."

Max tried to hide her surprise. Victoria actually sounded nervous. Not just about the contest, but asking for help. It was obviously not easier for her, and seeing the blonde this close to vulnerable tugged at her heart strings, which she didn't think was possible where Victoria Chase was concerned. "Okay."

"Okay, what?"

"I don't know how much help I can actually be, but I'll do what I can."

Now Victoria did smile. "You will?" Her cheeks reddened. "Thank you, Max."

"When do you have to turn the photo in?"

"Friday."

Max bit her lip. That didn't leave a lot of time, but between the two of them they were bound to be able to come up with something that was at least a decent photo. "Okay. How do you want to start?"

"With breakfast. I don't know about you but I can't focus on an empty stomach." Victoria glanced at her watch. "We've got time. Since you're helping me out I suppose the least I can do is buy you something to eat. Why don't we go to that crappy little diner you like so much?"

"You mean the Two Whales? " Max blinked. ' _How does she know about that?_ ' She rubbed her neck. "Uhh...sure. There should be a bus leaving in a few minutes, we can..."

Victoria laughed. "A bus? Are you serious? Max, do you really think Dolce and Gabbana has ever touched public transport?" She shook her head. "I have a car. Come on."

Max followed. Her stomach was rumbling at the thought of pancakes. "Dulsay and what?" She knew full well what Victoria was talking about, she just liked egging the blonde on.

Sighing, Victoria kneaded her brow as she walked. "This is going to be a long week."

Victoria stared across the table as Max finished off a stack of pancakes with a side of bacon. "It never ceases to amaze me how someone so tiny can pack away so much food."

"What can I say?" Max wiped her mouth. "Joyce's pancakes are delicious."

Victoria herself had enjoyed a surprisingly tasty blueberry muffin and a poached egg. She sipped her coffee. "I didn't realize you were on a first name basis with the staff."

"Not all of them. Joyce is Chloe's mother."

"Chloe? You mean Chloe Price?" Max nodded and Victoria's brow furrowed. "Oh, of course. I'd heard you used to be friends with that delinquent."

"Hey. That's not nice."

"It's not as if I'm making it up. She got expelled, Max."

"I know, but..." Max frowned. "Did you ever even meet her?"

Victoria shook her head. "Though I do recall seeing her in the halls once or twice. And I heard she got decent grades. Not as good as mine, of course." Max rolled her eyes. "No one was surprised when she crossed the principal one too many times and got kicked out. The real shock was Amber going with her."

"You knew Rachel Amber?"

"She was in the Vortex Club for a while. Her father's a DA, I think, so the Ambers had money." Victoria shrugged. "But Rachel never really fit in. She preferred spending time with the skaters and the punks, which I assume is where she met the Price girl. Those two were like oil and fire from what I hear, raising all kinds of hell together, when they weren't getting busted for kissing in the bathroom or making off with Nathan's weed stash."

Max finished her coffee. "Wowser." She smiled as Joyce came by to pour both of them a fresh cup. "Thanks." She noted that Chloe's mom hadn't said anything about her getting engaged, so she kept quiet. Perhaps Chloe wasn't ready to tell anyone else. ' _I wonder why she told me first, when we'd hardly spoken in years._ ' She shook her head. "So." She looked Victoria in the eye. "Tell me about the contest. What're the rules?"

"Like I said, it has to be new. And whatever it is, the photo has to be set somewhere in Arcadia Bay. Beyond that, anything goes really. Which is why I'm stuck. Sunset Over Blackwell turned out great but I can't just do that again. I want something unique and exciting and...and I'm drawing a complete blank."

Max nodded. "It's frustrating, I know. Remember the Everyday Heroes contest? I nearly drove myself crazy. I spent days going through my pictures, over and over, trying to decide if any of them were good enough, and after a while I started imagining what they'd look like on fire."

"You won."

"Barely. Your picture was so good, I was sure it was going to win."

"I knew it wouldn't."

"Hey." Max put her hand on Victoria's. "Don't sell yourself short. You have a wonderful eye. Miss Steward sings your praises all the time don't forget. You can win this, just have faith in yourself."

Victoria cleared her throat. "Oh please. Who needs faith? I have talent."

"Now that sounds more like it." Max smiled, and after a moment Victoria did too. ' _She should really smile more. It lights up her face._ ' When she first arrived at Blackwell she had seen Victoria with a camera and approached her, only to be rebuffed and mocked about her clothing and hair. Since then their interactions usually varied between cold and outright hostile but she had always thought Victoria was attractive. ' _Focus, Max._ ' Momentarily feeling a need to be looking anywhere but at the blonde she happened to glance at the clock on the wall of the diner. Startled, she looked at her watch to confirm it was 8:40. "Crap. I have to get to class."

"Okay."

When they arrived back at Blackwell ten minutes later, Taylor Christensen and Courtney Wagner were waiting by Victoria's usual parking spot. They were both clearly startled to see Max get out of Victoria's car, looking to one another with wide eyes and open mouths, but neither dared say anything.

Max turned to the taller girl. "Thanks for breakfast."

"You're welcome. And thank you for agreeing to help me. I'll call you in the morning, okay?"

"Okay. Bye." Max waved to Courtney and Taylor. "Bye guys."

Taylor turned to Victoria, who was checking her makeup in the driver's side mirror. "What the fuck, V?"

"Excuse me?"

"What was Caulfield doing in your car?" Courtney asked. "You're going to need all new upholstery."

"I'll have you know she's going to be helping me out with the photo contest. I need another expert eye." Victoria huffed and sauntered toward the school. "It's not as if I can rely on either of you."

Taylor and Courtney followed her in stunned silence. Neither of them was quite able to believe Victoria Chase was willingly going to be hanging out all week with Max Caulfield.

Max was too busy most of the day to worry about Victoria Chase and her photo contest.

But after dinner, once she was back in her room with the intent to study, her mind began to wander. Instead of her books she stared up at all the Polaroids lining her wall and wondered if any of them were good enough for the Memories of Arcadia Bay contest. As far as she could tell none of her work really stood out. While she and Victoria had very different tastes in style she had to admit the blonde had an excellent appreciation of color and a flair for the dramatic. She had a good chance of winning, provided they could find the right subject.

Max went to bed around 1 AM and had a dream in Victoria being covered in white paint. That wasn't unusual, following some of their contentious encounters she had often imagined one of Victoria's ridiculously expensive cashmere tops being ruined just to make herself feel better. But for some reason this time it went further, as she also dreamed about escorting Victoria to the shower and peeling her out of her clothes.

Max woke with a start. She was breathing heavily, and sweating. "What the hell?" Not that she hadn't had erotic dreams before, but as far as she could remember none of them had ever been about Victoria Chase. A glance at her clock told her it was just after 8 AM, time to get up and moving. "I need a shower." She shook her head. "After that dream, maybe a cold one." She grabbed her shower supplies and opened the door. To her surprise Kate Marsh had just opened her own door and was about to go in, though she turned and smiled when she saw Max. "Hey."

"Good morning." Kate was wearing a gray skirt and top and had a bible in her hands.

"You're up awfully early."

Kate nodded. "I was leading a dawn bible study. Can you believe six people actually showed up?"

"Whoa. That's great." Max knew her conservative Christian friend had been having a hard time at Blackwell, where most of the students were more interested in partying and each other than religion, but she was glad she seemed to be doing better. "I'm going to take a shower, but we should get tea some time."

"Absolutely. Have a good day, Max."

"You too Kate." Seeing Kate Marsh smile always brightened Max's day.

In the shower room one of the stalls was still broken and another was occupied, so she slipped out of her clothes and into the third. The water was hot but because someone else was also taking a shower the water pressure was crap. She heard a curse from whoever was in the other stall. "Sorry!" She soaped up her hair and had just finished scrubbing herself down when the water pressure dipped again, only this time it also turned ice cold. "Hey!" Someone had turned on one of the sinks and she hurriedly rinsed her hair before turning it off. She reached for her towel as she slid open the shower curtain. "What's the big..." She froze as she found herself face to face with Victoria Chase, her own glistening skin mostly on display as she too was only wearing a towel. "...idea?"

"Caulfield." Victoria crossed her arms. "I should have known."

' _The universe must hate me._ ' Max shook her head as she wrapped the towel around herself. "I'm sorry about the shower but you didn't have to do that. It was really cold."

"So I see." Victoria tore her eyes away from Max's chest, her face beet red.

Blushing herself, Max nervously rubbed the back of her neck. "Look. Can we be nice for a change? Or at least civil? It'll make working together a lot easier don't you think?"

"I suppose."

"Unless...you don't want to, anymore?"

Victoria frowned. "If it were anyone else I'd say you weren't worth the effort."

' _Did she just compliment me?_ ' Max nodded. "Good. I have a light schedule today. One class at noon, and I have a test so I have to go to it, but the one at 2 I can skip if I have to. What about you?"

"I have one from 9 to 11 but I have the rest of the day free. Why don't we meet by the statue at 1? We can go get something to eat and talk about ideas for the shoot."

Max nodded. "Sounds good." She bit her lip. "Look, I really am sorry about the shower."

"No, you couldn't help it." Victoria sighed. "What I did was just mean."

"That's kind of your default, isn't it?"

Victoria pinched her brow. "Max."

"Hey, it's okay. That's how you climb the social ladder, right? Stab the one ahead of you so she falls?"

"Maxine!"

The smaller girl blinked, startled by Victoria's tone. "What?"

"Would you just let me apologize! God!"

"Sorry."

Victoria frowned. "See, now you've ruined it. I'm going back to my room."

"Hey!" Max grabbed her shower supplies and followed her. "Wait up." To her surprise the blonde actually slowed. "You seem nervous. Are you still worried about the contest?"

"Of course. You should see the competition. These guys are phenomenal."

"So are you."

Victoria shook her head. "You're just being nice, Max. That's your default."

"Hold up." Max put her hand on Victoria's arm. "Maybe, but I'm also telling the truth. You are a phenomenal photographer Victoria. You're smart as a whip and you can do anything you put your mind to. There's a reason all the guys in the Vortex Club trip over themselves to follow in your footsteps."

Victoria laughed. "Sycophants. Hangers-on. I can count on one hand how many of them actually care about me. And you're right. I am good at photography." She took a deep breath. "But for a context like this, good isn't enough. I have to be better than everyone else, and I don't think I can do it on my own."

"Sure you could. You're the queen bee of Blackwell. You're Victoria fucking Chase." Max shrugged. "But in this case, you don't have to do it alone. I'll be right there with you. Just like I promised."

Victoria stopped in front of her door. "Thanks, Max."

"You're welcome." Max's room, of course, was right across the hall. "I'll see you later Victoria."

That afternoon they met at the Two Whales.

This time Max did take the bus, and so Victoria was already waiting when she arrived. The blonde started to wave at her as she came in the door then seemed to second guess herself and dropped her hand.

Max slid into the booth across from her. "Hey."

"I've been here for twenty minutes already so I took the liberty of ordering already."

"Twenty minutes?" Max looked at her watch. It was only 1:05. "Why'd you get here so early?"

Victoria shrugged as she sipped her drink. "Are you going to order something or not?"

"Okay." Max didn't need to look at the menu and flagged the waitress, who surprisingly was not Joyce, down. "Could I get a burger, fries and a Coke please?"

"Sure thing sweetie." The redhead nodded to Victoria. "Your chicken sandwich will be ready shortly."

"Thank you." Victoria cleared her throat. "So, about the photo. I was thinking..."

"So that's what I smelled. I thought maybe they burned my burger."

Victoria's brow furrowed. "Really? What are you, twelve?"

Max smiled at the waitress as she dropped off her drink and took a sip. "You were saying?"

"I had a couple of ideas. But I wanted to hear yours too."

Max was pleasantly surprised. Usually the only opinion that mattered to Victoria Chase was her own. ' _Maybe she's serious about working with me._ ' And she had been mulling over some thoughts on possible locations. "The whole theme of the contest is remembering Arcadia Bay, right? Like, what you'd want to keep with you if it were going, or maybe a snapshot of something important you'd want to take with you when you left?"

"I suppose."

"But maybe not too personal. You don't want to focus on something that's only important to you, or they might focus too much on the questions and less on the image. It should appeal to a larger audience."

Victoria sat silently for a moment. "Not necessarily, but go on."

"On the other hand, Memories of Arcadia Bay does sound like maybe they mean something important to you. Not like your dog or your sister but maybe a favorite hang out or where you met your best friend. The personal touch could bring a deeper meaning to an otherwise simple photograph."

"That's surprisingly deep." Victoria leaned back. "But it doesn't actually help us choose."

Max nodded. "I know. But it's a start."

After lunch they brainstormed, each offering up a number of possible locations. They ultimately decided to spend the day visiting several in the hopes one would jump out at them.

First up was the boardwalk.

"You see?" Max said. "Contrast with the water and the wood, and all the people."

Victoria nodded. "We'd also need the right lighting. Noon maybe.."

"Ooh...dusk over the ocean would be beautiful."

"No, that's too similar to Sunset Over Blackwell." Victoria crossed her arms. "Besides, I think I want something with people in it. So your idea of the crowd might be the better one."

"We'd just have to pick the right time. Too many people and it'd be a mess."

Victoria chewed on her lower lip. "We should also check out the docks while we're here."

"Lead the way."

Unlike the boardwalk, which was bustling with activity, there was hardly anyone on the docks. Just a couple of fishermen and a family readying their boat.

"I could see this," said Victoria. "A day on the ocean?"

Max nodded. "Or maybe man versus fish?"

"Uggh. Thanks for that. I was trying to block out the smell."

Victoria wasn't impressed by Max's next suggestion. "Seriously?" She gazed up at the lighthouse. "Every other postcard in Arcadia Bay features this damn thing."

"If you'd already decided against it, why you agree to come?"

Victoria shrugged. "For you." She said to so softly Max could barely make out the words. Before she could respond the blonde cleared her throat. "Let's go. This doesn't work for me at all."

"Okay."

Max suggested they just drive around Arcadia Bay. They passed the junkyard and the hospital, but Victoria didn't want anything to do with trash or sick people. Then they headed downtown.

"A lot of possibilities here," said Max. "The people and the shops. Midday?"

Victoria nodded. "Hmm...maybe." She looked at her watch. "We should find something to eat before we head back to school. Do you fancy Italian?"

It was dark by the time they got back the Blackwell, and while they both had class in the morning neither seemed to be in any hurry to return to the dorm. They remained in Victoria's car, listening to the radio. Max was a little surprised by the blonde's taste in music. "Is that...Syd Matters?

Victoria shrugged. "Why?"

"Nothing. It's just...I would've thought they were a little too hipster for you"

"What?"

"And I should know."

Victoria gritted her teeth. "Watch yourself, Caulfield."

But despite an implicit threat Max wasn't worried. There was an almost playful lilt to Victoria's tone, and when she looked up at the blonde her lips were twitching in a smile. "If you must know, I heard you playing them one afternoon and I liked the song so I looked them up. Turns out you have more taste than I thought."

"Thanks. I think."

Victoria turned down the radio. "So, umm...did you..."

Max, who had been reclining in her seat, sat up. "I didn't catch that."

"Did you have a good time?" It must have come out more forcefully than she intended, as Victoria's cheeks reddened but for once she did not turn her gaze away from the brunette.

Max blinked. "What? Oh, you mean...yeah." She smiled. "I did. It's fun seeing this other side of you."

"What?"

"Less angry, more relaxed. Talking about art and photography, lighting and composition. You can be such a geek about the technical side of stuff and I love seeing you smile."

Victoria bit her lip. It was, Max noted to herself, such a cute nervous habit. "You think I'm angry all the time?"

"At school? Yeah, seems like it. You're always yelling at Courtney and Taylor...and me. At first, look, can I be brutally honest with you, Victoria?"

"You mean you haven't been so far?"

They both smiled. Max nodded. "When we first met, I thought you were just a bitch. A rich, snotty, 'I'm better than you and don't you forget it', bitch. And let's be fair, you kind of were."

Victoria put a hand to her chest. "A persona I'll have you know I've cultivated over years of practice, Miss Caulfield. It keeps most of the poseurs and pretenders away. Except for Courtney."

"I know. And I get it. I do." Max put her hand on Victoria's knee and she felt the blonde stiffen. "But I also know you're so much more than what you pretend to be. You're brilliant and so passionate about things that are important to you. What's more you know what you want and you go after it, and to hell with everyone else and their opinions."

"Oh, that's not true, Max." Victoria lowered her head. "Not always."

"What do you mean?"

"Never mind." Victoria got out of the car. "Come on." They went back to the dorm, but when Max started toward her door the blonde caught her wrist and instead led them into hers. "It's been a long day. I say we relax and watch some TV. I'll even let you pick the movie."

Max eyed Victoria's big plasma TV. "Can we watch Final Fantasy: Spirits Within?"

"Fuck no." Victoria's eyes widened when she saw the expression on Max's face. "You're serious? Oh my god, don't tell me you actually like that abomination?" Max shrugged. "And here I thought you had at least a thread of taste. While I can appreciate an interest in animation and science fiction, Spirits Within is arguably the single worst thing to happen to the genre since...well, the genre was invented really. Max, if you continue to try and espouse the merits of a such a cinematic travesty I am afraid you and I can no longer be acquainted in any capacity."

Max stuck out her lower lip. "Damn. I guess that means I'm off the Chase's Christmas card list." She sighed. "Fine. You pick then. Show me an example of what you consider "good" anime." She plopped down on the couch. "But I have to warn you. If it has subtitles I will probably fall asleep."

Max was awakened by the vibrating of her phone, against her thigh.

Which struck her as odd, considering she usually left it by her bed so it could charge and not in her pocket. Then again she didn't usually go to bed dressed either. And she was warm. Really warm. Groggily she tried to sit up but the arm around her waist kept her from moving.

' _Wait, what?_ '

Max slowly turned her head to see a mass of short blonde hair. Her eyes widened and her cheeks burned as she realized Victoria Chase was curled up against her, fast asleep.

' _Holy shit!_ '

A quick look around told Max they were not only still in Victoria's room, they were in her bed.

' _Last thing I remember, we were watching TV. On the couch._ '

Maybe she had fallen asleep. But if that were the case she would have expected Victoria to angrily wake her up and kick her out of the room, not take her to bed. How had she even done this?

' _And why?_ '

Max wasn't about to wake Victoria and ask her though. She shifted position slightly, careful not to disturb the blonde, and studied her sleeping face. She had never seen Victoria look so peaceful.

' _I'm really glad we've had this time to get to know one another better. I always knew you were smart, but you're so witty and observant, you have an amazing eye._ ' Her breath caught in her throat. ' _And you're gorgeous._ ' She frowned. ' _Max, you're deluding yourself. Victoria's only been putting up with you because she wants to win this damn contest. I mean, I don't even know if she likes girls._ ' She frowned. ' _For that matter, do I?'_

A few minutes later, Victoria stirred. "Max?" Her eyelids fluttered open. "You're still here?"

"Where else would I be?"

Victoria yawned and rubbed her eyes. "I'm just not used to...I mean...good morning."

"Good morning." Max sat up. "Is there something you'd like to tell me?"

Victoria's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"You and I are in bed. Together." Max smiled. "I usually at least ask a girl to buy me dinner first."

Victoria sat up. "I did buy you dinner, remember?"

"Oh. Right."

Victoria rolled her eyes. "Relax, Caulfield. You fell asleep on the couch and I didn't want to be responsible for your chiropractic bills so I moved you to the bed. You're welcome."

"It is a comfortable mattress."

Victoria slid off the bed and stood up. "What time is it?" She looked at her watch. "It's 8:15? Shit."

"We're losing light." Max got up. "Did you decide where you want to shoot?"

"I need to make a couple of phone calls." Victoria reached for her phone. "Meet me at the car in an hour?"

Max nodded. "Okay." As she headed back to her room she remembered her phone buzzing and checked to see she had received a text from Kate.

 **Morning Max.**

 **Sorry. I was still asleep.**

It took a couple of minutes for Kate to respond.

 **Where?**

Max blinked. ' _What does that mean?_ ' Instead of texting back she went to Kate's room and knocked on the door. When the blonde opened it and saw her, she smiled, and she couldn't help smiling too. "Hi."

"Hi yourself. What did you mean...where?"

Kate motioned her inside and closed the door behind her. "I stopped by your room a few minutes ago, to see if you wanted to get some tea this afternoon, but you didn't answer. At first I was a little worried, but then I figured..." She lowered her head, her cheeks reddening.

"What?"

"N-Nothing. It's none of my business."

Max shrugged. "It's okay. It's not like I have anything to hide. Victoria and I spent yesterday scouting locations and I was exhausted, so when we went back to her room I fell asleep."

"Oh." Kate didn't look entirely convinced.

"Why?" Max asked. "What did you think was going on?"

Kate blushed. "I thought, the two of you were..." She smiled nervously. "You know."

"Oh. Would it bother you if we were? I know your religion..."

Kate shook her head. "I may be Christian but I don't subscribe to all the tenets Max. I don't believe God hates anyone or anything. That stems from the faults and weaknesses of man. He created us and He created love and I think he wants us to be happy." She touched her crucifix. "Does Victoria make you happy, Max?"

"Umm...we haven't actually..."

"No, silly. Do you like her?"

Max stared at her for a moment. "I..." She rubbed her neck. "I think...maybe?"

Kate nodded. "If it makes a difference, I saw the two of you running around yesterday. I thought you looked so cute together." She smiled. "If you like her, you should tell her."

"Thanks, Kate."

Max went back to her room and changed clothes then headed to the parking lot, Kate's words echoing in her mind the entire time Victoria was driving. She was so focused on her own thoughts she didn't even notice they had stopped until Victoria turned off the engine and touched her shoulder.

"You with me, Caulfield?"

Max blinked. "What? Oh, sorry. I was just thinking."

"About what?"

' _Kissing you. Knock it off._ ' Max shook her head. "Nothing important."

Victoria's brow furrowed and she stared at the smaller girl for a moment, then huffed. "Okay. We're here."

"We are?" Max got out of the car. "Wait, this isn't..." She had been expecting the docks, or the boardwalk, but instead they were in the parking lot at the base of the path that led up to the lighthouse. "Hang on. I thought you said you didn't want to shoot here? Something about it being cliche?"

Victoria nodded as she got her camera and bag from the trunk. "It would be, if I were planning to take a picture of the lighthouse itself. But I'm not. Come on."

As Max followed, she noticed there was another car in the parking lot. When they arrived at the base of the lighthouse a few minutes later they found a tall, dark-haired man in a gray suit waiting for them.

"Miss Chase?"

Victoria shook his hand. "Is everything set?"

"Yes ma'am." He handed her a key. "I was instructed to wait here until your return, to lock everything up."

Victoria nodded. "Very good. I don''t imagine we'll be more than an hour or so." She motioned to Max and used the key to unlock the lower lighthouse door.

"Are we going to the observation deck?" Max asked. "I thought it was sealed off?"

"It is. But that's not where we're going anyway. Follow me."

They climbed stairs for an interminable amount of time. Both Max and Victoria were breathing a little hard as they finally came to another door and the blonde unlocked it. They stepped out and the smaller girl realized they were on the very top of the lighthouse, where people usually only went to replace the light.

"Holy shit. The view." Max looked down over the water and saw Arcadia Bay in the distance. "It's incredible."

Victoria nodded. She was staring right at Max. "Isn't it?"

"I guess being one of the richest families in Arcadia Bay has it's perks."

"It does. I only had to pull a few strings."

Max nodded. "So, what are you planning to shoot?"

"The contest is about Arcadia Bay." Victoria turned and began to take pictures of the town itself. From the height she had a unique angle and with the sun in the current position it was not quite back lit. "I got this lens set special ordered. It has the maximum optical zoom, excellent depth of field. Though from up here, even a dullard should be able to get great shots. Hey Max, did you bring your camera?"

"Hah hah." Max stuck out her tongue and Victoria laughed. "I did, but..." She looked around. "The Polaroid isn't really designed for shots like this. I couldn't do it justice."

Victoria kept shooting, not just the town but the bay, the sky, the horizon, until her camera's memory card was overflowing. Even though she could only turn in one for the contest she suspected many of the others would still be worth keeping. There was just one thing left to do. "Max?"

"Hmm?"

"Can you do me one more favor?"

Max, who had endeavored to stay out of the way, stepped forward. "What's up?"

"Could you stand..." Victoria pointed. "...right there?" Max did as she asked. "Good. Lean up against the railing? Just like that. Yes." She raised her camera. "Now look at me and...big smile?"

Max was confused why Victoria wanted to take her picture but posed nonetheless, and seeing how happy Victoria was did make her smile quite a bit. She did have to hold the pose a little longer than she expected, as Victoria adjusted the lens and the settings on the camera until she apparently got it just the way she wanted it.

"There. Perfect." Victoria smiled at the digital screen. "We should go back to my room and look through the photos on my computer to figure out which one to submit."

"When is the deadline?"

"Six PM."

"Plenty of time then. Let's just stay up here for a bit, and admire the view."

Victoria nodded. "Good idea. We won't get one like this again." She leaned on the railing, biting her lip when Max stepped up so close next to her their bodies almost touched. "Thank you for helping me, Max."

"You're welcome. I enjoyed this. You're a lot of fun to be around."

"You sound surprised. Does that mean I'm not the queen bitch of Blackwell anymore?"

Max chuckled. "I wouldn't give up the crown just yet. You fought pretty hard for it after all." She hesitated, then put an arm around Victoria's waist. She smiled when the blonde tensed, but did not pull away. "If it turns out you really are a big softy though, you might want to keep an eye on Courtney."

"Hah! Courtney? As if. Oh sure, she tries. But the real problem is Taylor. Given the chance she could be even more ruthless and cutthroat than I ever was. "

"That's a scary thought." Max felt so comfortable there, holding Victoria. A part of her wanted to just stay like that all day long but they were on a time table and she knew they still had things to do. She sighed. "That poor guys downstairs probably thinks we fell off. I guess we'd better get going." She started to pull away, but to her surprise, Victoria's hand slipped into hers and their fingers intertwined.

"Not yet. Okay?"

Max nodded, then stepped closer and lay her head on Victoria's shoulder. "I'm in no hurry."

"Good. I want this to just be our moment, you know?"

"I get it. Thank you, Victoria."

"For what?"

"Letting me get close. I know that's not easy for you."

Victoria rested her head against Max's. "You might be surprised."

When they got back to Blackwell they found Taylor waiting.

"Go on ahead." Victoria handed Max her camera bag. "This shouldn't take long."

Max nodded to Taylor and she walked by.

Victoria crossed her arms. "What?"

"People are starting to talk, V."

"About what?"

"You and Caulfield. Come on. You're driving her all over town, taking her out to eat, and she's staying overnight in your room. Hayden and Nathan both think you two are going out. I told them both they're crazy. I said you wouldn't do something like that without telling me first. Right?"

Victoria averted her eyes. "Taylor..."

"Shit. I guess I owe Courtney fifty bucks." Taylor smiled. "Is it serious?"

"I don't know. Yet."

Taylor ran her fingers through her hair. "Fuck me. Okay. I can keep the boys off your back for a while. Courtney and I will handle the gossip. She must be good."

Victoria gritted her teeth. "Don't push it, T."

"Look, all I know is I've seen you smiling more the last couple of days than in all the time I've known you. I can't even imagine what you see in Max Caulfield, but if she makes you happy, go for it."

Victoria was still thinking about what Taylor said when she got back to her room and found Max sitting cross-legged on her bed with her computer in her lap and her camera by her side. The hipster was typing away on the keyboard and didn't seem to notice her come in. ' _She really is adorable._ ' The two of them had clashed immediately when Max first arrived at Blackwell, with her tacky clothing, vintage camera and bubbly personality, made worse by the fact she was so damn good at photography with seemingly little effort she started winning a lot of the adulation that had been reserved for Victoria, but in time found herself fascinated by things like Max's freckles and the way she laughed. Whenever Taylor or Nathan caught her staring she usually brushed it aside with a joke or an insult and they quickly joined in, and she was surprised when some of the meaner things actually bothered her and she had to bite her tongue to keep from defending her 'enemy'. She had Taylor's blessing but she knew Nathan would go crazy when he found out.

Victoria cleared her throat. Max looked up and smiled. "Hey. Everything okay with Taylor?"

"Just Vortex Club business. Nothing important."

"Good. Come check this out." Max turned the laptop so Victoria could see it when the blonde sat down beside her. "I downloaded your photos." She pointed to the screen. "They're in this folder. I created two other folders. One for possible contest entries and one for rejects. I figured we do a quick pass first and you can decide which you think are viable candidates. Once we have the list narrowed down we can go through them one by one."

Victoria put her hand on Max's leg, and the brunette's breath caught in her throat. "I appreciate the effort, but none of that is necessary. I already know which photo I'm going to submit."

"You do?"

Victoria nodded. "I've known since the lighthouse." She moved the cursor to the very last photograph in the folder and double clicked it. The screen was immediately filled with the image of Max, posed with a shy smile on her face, the sun over one shoulder and Arcadia Bay in remarkable clarity behind her.

"This one?" Max stared at the screen. "Are you cereal?" She shook her head. "Victoria, no. You have several shots like this of the town without me in the way. Shouldn't you use one of them?"

"I could. But trust me Max, this is the right one."

"Why?"

Victoria sighed. "I thought about what you said earlier. Memories of Arcadia Bay could be applied literally, to the town itself, or to some part of it that is important to me. There's a quote I always liked. If you want to learn what someone fears losing, watch what they photograph. Arcadia Bay will always be my home, no matter where I go in the world, so I did want to hold on to an image of it. But this week had made me realize something."

"What?"

"I can't just focus on the past. I need to look to the future." Victoria put the computer aide then reached out and took Max's hands. "And whatever happens, wherever it takes me, I want you to be a part of it."

Max's face fell. "Y-You do?" Victoria nodded. "I-I want that too."

"You do?" The blonde's eyes widened. "I wasn't...I didn't think you..."

"God, you're so cute when you're flustered."

They stared into each other's eyes for a few moments then both moved in for a kiss. At the same time. They bumped heads and sat back, laughing.

"Okay, that probably could have gone better," said Max. "For our first kiss."

"Shut up." Victoria leaned in and suddenly her lips were pressed against Max's, warm and wet and oh-so inviting. Max moaned and closed her eyes as the blonde wrapped her arms around her. They remained engrossed in one another until they reluctantly had to part to breath/ "THAT was our first kiss."

Max blinked. "Wowser."

"Eloquent as usual." Victoria gently swept a lock of hair out of Max's eyes. "Come here."

"No." Max threw her arms around Victoria. "You come here." She laughed as she pulled the blonde down on top of her and the two of them began kissing even more hungrily. Eventually they had to come up for air again and she curled up against the blonde, their arms around one another. "You still have a contest to enter you know."

"I think I already won the prize." Victoria kissed Max's forehead. "But you're right. I'll get around to it. I still have a few hours to go before the deadline. Plenty of time."

Max sighed. "So...what now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Are we...dating? Do I start calling you my girlfriend?"

Victoria arched an eyebrow. "Do you want to?"

"I've never had a girlfriend before." Max smiled. "But yeah. I do want that."

Victoria nodded. "Then let's make it official. Maxine Caulfield, will you be my girlfriend?"

"Max. Never Maxine. And yes, I will. Victoria Chase, will you be my girlfriend?"

"Hmm..." Victoria laughed as Max playfully swatted her shoulder. "Yes, Max, I will. And if anyone at Blackwell has a problem with that they can say it to my face. "

"Even the Vortex Club?"

"Nathan is the only one who might raise a stink, and I can shut him down pretty easily if I have to. Would you believe Taylor already figured it out? She's okay with it."

Max nodded. "That's funny. So is Kate."

"The bible thumper knows?"

"Apparently, we're kind of transparent. I guess it's because you're just so damn kissable."

"Is that a fact?"

Max nodded. "Let me show you." She rolled on top of Victoria and brought her lips down to the blonde's.

THE END


End file.
